In HCL Leap, we have encountered situations where a form reaches the maximum number of fields, making it difficult to further extend the application and accommodate additional business requirements.
As a potential enhancement, HCL Leap could provide a normalized data storage option at the form, page, or section level.
Instead of storing all fields of a large form in a single database table, Leap could allow developers to define certain sections of a form as separate data entities/tables. Leap would then automatically create and manage the corresponding database tables and maintain the relationship between them using Primary Keys and Foreign Keys.
For example:
A main form could contain the primary/common information.
A particular section, such as Employee Details, Addresses, Projects, or Transactions, could be configured as a separate data entity.
Leap would automatically create a separate database table for that section.
The related records would be associated with the main form record through a Foreign Key.
Developers could continue adding fields to different sections without all fields contributing to a single table's field limit.
Example
Instead of having one large table:
FORM_TABLE
ID | Field1 | Field2 | Field3 | ... | Field500 | Field501 | ...
Leap could support a normalized structure such as:
FORM_TABLE
FORM_ID | Field1 | Field2 | Field3
FORM_DETAILS_TABLE
DETAIL_ID | FORM_ID (FK) | Field4 | Field5 | Field6 | ...
This would follow standard database normalization principles while allowing Leap to manage the underlying database structure automatically.
Expected Benefits
Help overcome limitations caused by a large number of fields in a single form.
Support development of larger and more complex applications.
Reduce the need for workarounds when the form field limit is reached.
Improve database organization through normalized data structures.
Allow better separation of logically different sections of a form.
Reduce the impact of adding new fields to large applications.
Hide database complexity from developers by allowing HCL Leap to automatically manage table creation and relationships.
The feature could provide a simple configuration such as "Store this section as a separate data entity/table", while HCL Leap handles table creation, primary/foreign key relationships, CRUD operations, and data integrity behind the scenes.
